Tag: Career Sucess

How do people engage at work?

How do people engage at work? Research by the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) and Kingston University Business School’s Centre for Research in Employment, Skills and Society (CRESS) has shown that people engage for vastly different reasons. The research has emphasized the distinction between people who do their job mainly to earn a living and others whose emotional attachment is much wider. Their engagement can extend to the organization itself and to colleagues, line managers and customers.

Those engaged primarily with their jobs may well enjoy and take pride in their individual work. But they just want to do it and get on with rest of their lives. It is interesting that the study found that these people who are mainly interested in the technicalities of own work (transactionally engaged) report higher levels of stress. They seem to have more difficulties in achieving a work-life balance than those who are emotionally engaged with the organization.

It can become more complicated when, for example. someone is emotionally engaged mainly with their profession and perhaps even their clients. However they are only transactionally engaged with their current role and the current organisation.

This presents some interesting challenges for those leading change. How they communicate about the change to meet the needs of such a complicated audience.

A change that is being made for the perceivable good of the organization is more likely to be supported by someone emotionally engaged with that organization. The well being of colleagues may well be will be seen to be a priority and so will a clear commitment to manage the change well.

However, a change that threatens the work of an individual who is transactionally engaged may present a much greater risk. Most change managers have encountered the committed and brilliant technical specialist who decides they have no alternative but to subvert a change for the good of their work.So how can you respond?

Well, for a start you need to understand your group. Have a care with the results of engagement surveys which may not distinguish between different kinds of engagement.

What kind of people are in your group and what kind of work do they do? Walk the talk – get out there and meet them. Have conversations and be prepared to listen and to deal with feelings and anxiety.

When you communicate the change be aware that the impact will be different for different kinds of people. Take those different needs into account when you are planning the message. Then recognize the risk that different kinds of engagement might present. If your change threatens the organization itself then you need to manage the risk that presents for those committed to it. But handled the right way they will come with you on the journey.

Those committed mainly just to the job may well simply remove themselves. You risk losing their precious technical skills if they can see nothing in the change for them. If their skills are critical to the organization you may need to consider incentives to stay. These could range from money to opportunities for professional development or even enhanced technical facilities.

As with all change programs, success lies with inspiring people to follow the vision. But that inspiration may come with different strokes for very different kinds of folks

If you need the support of a coach in developing your career as change leader or change manager, then get in touch.

Wendy Smith, Principal Coach, WiseWolf Life and Career Coaching

Wendy Smith is a career consultant, life coach and business coach with depth of experience in organisational development, management, coaching and personal development. That experience means she is equally at home helping clients find a new career direction, starting-up new businesses or dealing with life’s more challenging personal issues. You can contact her at wendy@wisewolfcoaching.com

Wendy has written a little eBook on how to get on with your boss and a book on job search – you can find all her books on Amazon at this link

Making Changes – What Is Troubling You?

Making Changes – part 3 of the series. Be Clear About Your Emotions!

What Is Troubling You? In the last post in this series I discussed the need to be quite clear about what you need to change. I said you needed to be as specific and detailed as you could in the way you defined the change. Starting with a clear and detailed description has a huge impact on the success of your change.

Next you need to think about how you really feel about the change. No significant change is made without some impact on our emotions. Understanding what those emotions are and knowing how to manage their impact can be key to success.

Troublesome emotions

Troublesome emotions like anxiety, depression, guilt, shame, anger, hurt, jealousy and envy can occur at any time in our lives. They might be associated with lots of different events. Sometimes they occur when most people may think there should be nothing to worry about. But they worry you. And they can be very difficult to deal with.

Perhaps one theme and one emotion recurs time and again. It hasn’t stopped you doing something but it has made it more difficult to do and less satisfying.

Teasing out exactly what the emotion could be is the first step in understanding the thoughts and beliefs behind it. It can help you gain control of the emotion and make sure things turn out more positively in future.

What Is Troubling You? What do you really feel?

What do you feel, when you think about the change you have to make? Exactly what emotion is being stirred within you?

Now is the time to take some time for reflection. Try not to judge yourself for the emotion you feel. Be very honest with yourself. Sometimes support from someone you trust like a coach can be helpful in working out what is troubling you.

The next post in this series will be about what aspect of the change is triggering the emotion and why?

If you have tips to share with others about making changes in your life – please get in touch.

Working with a coach can help you to change successfully – email me at the address below for information on how I can help you.

Wendy Smith, Principal Coach, WiseWolf Life and Career Coaching

Wendy Smith is a career consultant, life coach and business coach with depth of experience in organisational development, management, coaching and personal development. That experience means she is equally at home helping clients find a new career direction, starting-up new businesses or dealing with life’s more challenging personal issues. You can contact her at wendy@wisewolfcoaching.com

Wendy has written a little eBook on how to get on with your boss and a book on job search – you can find all her books on Amazon at this link

Making Changes – Defining Change

Making Changes – part 2 of the series. Be Clear About The Change You Want!

Defining Change – Making Changes is series of posts about how to make positive changes in your personal or professional life that really work . So, I hope it helps you. Perhaps, you have comments, or would like further help? If so, my email address is at the bottom of the article.

In the last post in this series I discussed the need to face reality, admit that a change is needed and take responsibility for action. Now is the time to be quite clear about what you need to change.

Be as specific and detailed as you can in the way you define the change. Starting with a clear and detailed description is important. If you don’t really know what you want, you can find yourself very disappointed after you made the change.

Defining change – tips!

Here are some tips to help you and define change and be clear about the problem you are trying to solve.

Start with what you know now! Write down as much as possible about the thing you want to change, why you want to make a change and how you plan to make it.

Consider what other information you might need. What gaps are there in your knowledge about the change you want to make. Do you understand completely how you are going to make the change and what the full effects might be? For example, will other people be effected? Do you need their support in making the change and are you likely to get it? How much time and money will it cost to do it and do you have those resources available? Does making this change mean you will need to make others – what will they be?

Collect the information you need. This could include both facts and the opinions of others about the change you plan. Don’t be afraid to ask for help. What has been their experience in making a similar change – what has worked for them and what has not? Try to gather as much information as you can.

Now you are ready to define the change you want to make.

If you have gone through the steps above, you are ready to set down in detail what your change is and how you want to make it. Write it down and make it as clear, colorful and detailed as you can.

The next post in this series is going to cover handling emotions when making changes in our lives. No significant change is made without some impact on our emotions and knowing how to manage that impact can be key to success.

I would love to hear your experiences in making changes in your life

Working with a coach can help you to change successfully – email me at the address below for information on how I can help you.

Wendy Smith, Principal Coach, WiseWolf Life and Career Coaching

Wendy Smith is a career consultant, life coach and business coach with depth of experience in organisational development, management, coaching and personal development. That experience means she is equally at home helping clients find a new career direction, starting-up new businesses or dealing with life’s more challenging personal issues. You can contact her at wendy@wisewolfcoaching.com

Wendy has written a little eBook on how to get on with your boss and a book on job search – you can find all her books on Amazon at this link

Making Changes – Admit A Change is Needed

Making Changes – part 1 of the series. First, admit you need a change.

Making Changes is series of posts about how to make positive changes in your personal or professional life that really work . So, I hope it helps you. Perhaps, you have comments, or would like further help? If so, my email address is at the bottom of the article.

Change happens

Making changes – yes, change is inevitable. And, you can’t avoid it, but sometimes we do our best to try! At the end of the day, though, we all get caught up in it. If you look back at your own life, and your career, you will know that this is true.

Some change is positive and some negative. But change is inevitable. So how do you make the most of it for you, your family and your career?

Facing reality

The secret is to recognize and truly acknowledge when a change is needed. Often it is hardest to admit to yourself when that change needs to be made within you. Start to watch and listen to the world around you and how those about you are responding. How do they respond to you? How have things changed? If they have changed, how are you going to respond? The world is changing constantly. So make scanning your horizons a regular part of your routine.

At home and at work

At home make sure you take time to really listen to those about you including close friends. It is all too easy to get into a busy routine that leaves no time to really talk to others outside of work. So, when you ask questions about how they are feeling, be ready to listen fully to an honest answer. And, give them time and space to fully express themselves while you take time to work out how best to respond. Staying tuned-in is an important part of maintaining healthy relationships. If a relationship isn’t healthy, be ready to take the steps necessary to put things right

At work, ask your boss for feedback about your performance if it isn’t volunteered. Begin to see how others are working now. Listen to what your boss and your colleagues are saying about the future. Read the professional and trade journals for your sector and take part in your professional organization. Keep in touch on the internet with others in your market place through organisations like LinkedIn.

Making changes – admit you need a change.

Before you make a change, you need to truly acknowledge and accept you need one. Sometimes, it will be about something within yourself or the way you act. Are you doing all you can to keep your relationships healthy?Are you fully meeting the needs of your job as it is now, It is all too easy to assume everything has stayed the same. The reality is that probably it hasn’t. But of course many of the changes may be for the better. How best to respond is really up to you.

Admitting you have a weakness is painful. It is far more comfortable to blame your partner, the boss, your colleagues or your friends. It is easier to make excuses and rationalize the situation, than admit to things as they are really and begin making changes.

Making Changes – taking the first steps

Facing reality, admitting there is a problem and taking responsibility for action set up the conditions needed for a successful change. They are your first steps in making changes.

The next post in this series is about being clear about the change required. You can find it at this link

Wendy Smith, Principal Coach, WiseWolf Life and Career Coaching

Wendy Smith is a career consultant, life coach and business coach with depth of experience in organisational development, management, coaching and personal development. That experience means she is equally at home helping clients find a new career direction, starting-up new businesses or dealing with life’s more challenging personal issues. You can contact her at wendy@wisewolfcoaching.com

Wendy has written a little eBook on how to get on with your boss and a book on job search – you can find all her books on Amazon at this link

Be Successful – Making A Personal Change – Part 4 Identify what is most difficult for you

In the last post in this series I asked you to start thinking about emotions and I explained how identifying your troublesome emotion helps you gain control and make sure things turn out more positively for you in the future.

Now, you need to identify what is most difficult for you about the change.

This is important because it helps you get to the root of the problem and so you avoid spending too much time on the peripheral issues. It saves you energy you would have spent dealing with less important aspects of your change. For example, you might feel angry about something that happened last time you tried to make this kind of change. But what really caused you to feel that way?

When you know what it is that is actually causing your big emotion, you can start to develop a more helpful attitude.

Find a little time and a quiet space to go through this exercise. Think about what happened in the past to make you feel this way. Now imagine someone telling you the same story. What advice would you give them? Imagine questioning them about what happened and pressing them to tell you more and more about how it happened until you get right down to the root cause. Now what is that fundamental belief about themselves that is making them feel uncomfortable.

What advice would you give them to help them have a more healthy attitude? Now step into their shoes and think about you having the same experience and how you can now apply the new approach. Practice thinking in this new way.

Success here depends on being very honest with yourself.

If you need support from a coach in sorting out the fundamental belief that is stopping you making positive changes, get in touch, my phone number is below.

The next post in this series will be about setting goals for your change and how to avoid the pitfalls in goal setting.

If you have tips to share with others about making changes in your life – please get in touch.

The links to the earlier posts in this series are below.

Wendy Mason is a Life and Career Coach. She helps people have the confidence they need to be successful at work and to change career while maintaining a good work/life balance. You can email her at wendymason@wisewolfcoaching.com

Related articles

Be Successful – Making A Personal Change – Part 3 Be Clear About What Is Troubling You

Be Successful – Making A Personal Change – Part 1 Admit A Change is Needed

Be Successful – Making A Personal Change – Part 2 Be Clear About The Change You Wa

Leading change: high levels of engagement could actually put your change at risk

New research by the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) and Kingston University Business School’s Centre for Research in Employment, Skills and Society (CRESS) has emphasized the distinction between people whose man engagement at work is with doing their immediate job to earn a living and others whose emotional attachment is much wider and extends to the organization itself – colleagues, line managers and customers.

Those engaged primarily with their jobs might enjoy and take pride in their individual work but they just want to do it and get on with rest of their lives. It is interesting that the study found that these people who are transactionally engaged (their interest is mainly in the technicalities of own work) report higher levels of stress and difficulties in achieving a work-life balance than those who are emotionally engaged with the organization.

It can become more complicated when, for example. someone is emotionally engaged mainly with their profession and perhaps even their clients, but only transactionally engaged with their current role and the current organisation.

Now ,this presents some interesting challenges for those leading change, particularly in how they communicate about the change.

A change that is being made for the perceivable good of the organization is more likely to be supported by someone emotionally engaged with that organization. That is, if the well being of colleagues is seen to be a priority and there is a clear commitment to managing the change well.

However, a change that threatens the work of an individual who is transactionally engaged may present a much greater risk. Most change managers have encountered the committed and brilliant technical specialist who decides they have no alternative but to subvert a change for the good of their work.

So how can you respond?

Well, for a start you need to understand your group and have a care with the results of engagement surveys which may not distinguish between different kinds of engagement.

What kind of people are in your group and what kind of work do they do? Walk the talk – get out there and meet them. Have conversations and be prepared to listen and to deal with feelings and anxiety.

When you communicate the change be aware that the impact will be different for different kinds of people. Take those different needs into account when you are planning the message. Then recognize the risk that different kinds of engagement might present. If your change threatens the organization itself then you need to manage the risk that presents for those committed to it. But handled the right way they will come with you on the journey.

Those committed mainly just to the job may well simply remove themselves, together with their precious technical skills if they can see nothing in the change for them. If their skills are critical to the organization you may need to consider incentives to stay – these could range from money to opportunities for professional development or even enhanced technical facilities.

As with all change programs, success lies with inspiring people to follow the vision but that inspiration may come with different strokes for very different kinds of folks

If you need the support of a coach in developing your career as change leader or change manager, then get in touch – I’ve been there before you.

Wendy Mason is a Career Coach with Life Coaching skills and expertise in helping people have the confidence they need to be successful at work while maintaining a good work/life balance. You can email her at wendymason@wisewolfcoaching.com

Related articles

Be Successful – Making A Personal Change – Part 1 Admit A Change is Needed(wisewolftalking.com)

Career Development – Dealing With a New Boss(wisewolftalking.com)

Job Search – Saying Thank You After The Interview Is A Must(wisewolftalking.com)

Successful – Making A Personal Change – Part 3 Be Clear About What Is Troubling You

In the last post in this series I discussed the need to be quite clear about what you need to change. I said you needed to be as specific and detailed as you could in the way you defined the change. Starting with a clear and detailed description has a huge impact on how successful your change might be. And I hope you have now created your description.

Now, you need to start thinking about emotions. No significant change is made without some impact on our emotions. Understanding what they are and knowing how to manage the impact can be key to success.

Troublesome emotions like anxiety, depression, guilt, shame, anger, hurt, jealousy and envy can occur at different times in our lives. They can be associated with lots of different kinds of events. But sometimes they occur when most people would think there should be nothing to worry about. And they can be very difficult to deal with.

You can find one theme and one emotion recurs time and again. It doesn’t actually stop you doing something but it can make it more difficult to do and less satisfying.

Teasing out exactly what the emotion is, is the first step in understanding the thoughts and beliefs behind it. It can be a way to help you gain control of the emotion and make sure things turn out more positively for you in the future.

What do you feel, when you think about the change you have to make? Exactly what emotion is being stirred in you?

Be very honest with yourself. If you need support from a coach in sorting out the emotions that stop you making positive changes, get in touch, my phone number is below.

The next post in this series will be about what aspect of the change is triggering the emotion and why?

If you have tips to share with others about making changes in your life – please get in touch.

The links to the earlier posts in this series are below.

Wendy Mason is a Life and Career Coach. She helps people have the confidence they need to be successful at work and to change career while maintaining a good work/life balance. You can email her at wendymason@wisewolfcoaching.com

Related articles

Be Successful – Making A Personal Change – Part 2 Be Clear About The Change You Want!

Be Successful – Making A Personal Change – Part 1 Admit A Change is Needed

In the last post in this series I discussed the need to face reality, admit that a change is needed and then take responsibility for action. Now you need to be quite clear about what you need to change.

You need to be as specific and detailed as you can in the way you define the change. Starting with a clear and detailed description has a huge impact on how successful the change might be. If you don’t really know what you want, you can still find yourself very disappointed.

Define the change – tips!

Here are some tips for defining the problem you are trying to solve in making your change

Start with what you know now! Write down as much as possible about the thing you want to change, why you want to make a change and how you plan to make it.

Consider what other information you might need. What gaps are there in your knowledge about the change you want to make. Do you understand completely how you are going to make the change and what the full effects might be? For example, will other people be effected? Do you need their support in making the change and are you likely to get it? How much time and money will it cost to do it and do you have those resources available? Does making this change mean you will need to make others – what will they be?

Collect the information you need. This could include both facts and the opinions of others about the change you plan. What has been their experience in making a similar change – what has worked for them and what has not? Try to gather as much information as you can.

Now you are ready to define the change you want to make.

If you have gone through the steps above, you are now ready to set down in detail what your change is and how you want to make it. Write it down and make it as clear, colorful and detailed as you can.

The next post in this series is going to cover handling emotions when making changes in our lives. No significant change is made without some impact on our emotions and knowing how to manage that impact can be key to success.

I would love to hear your experiences in making changes in your life

Working with a coach can help you to change successfully – email me at the address below for information on how I can help you.

Wendy Mason is a Life and Career Coach. She helps people have the confidence they need to be successful at work and to change career while maintaining a good work/life balance. You can email her at wendymason@wisewolfcoaching.com

Related articles

Be Successful – Making A Personal Change – Part 1 Admit A Change is Needed(wisewolftalking.com)

Career Development – Dealing With a New Boss(wisewolftalking.com)

Job Search – Saying Thank You After The Interview Is A Must(wisewolftalking.com)

Be Successful – Making A Personal Change – Part 1 Admit A Change is Needed

Change happens

Yes, change is inevitable – you can’t avoid it but sometimes we do our best to try! At the end of the day, though, we all get caught up in it. If you look back at your own life and your career, you will know that this is true.

Some change is positive and some negative but change is inevitable. So how do you make the most of it for you and your career?

Facing reality

You need to recognize when a change is needed and you need to admit to yourself when that change needs to be within you. Start to monitor the world around you and how those about you are beginning to respond. How have things moved on and how are you going to respond? Make scanning your horizons a regular routine. For example;

Read the professional and trade journals for your sector,

Take part in your professional organization,

Keep in touch on the internet with others in your market place – LinkedIn groups are a great source of information.

Locally, listen to what your boss and your colleagues are saying about the future.

Before you make a change, you need to truly acknowledge and accept that one is required. Sometimes that change is within ourselves and it is about our own performance. Are you fully meeting the needs of your job as they are now, not as they were when you were first appointed?

Admitting we have a weakness, can be very painful. It is far more comfortable to blame the boss, our colleagues, the customers or a supplier. It is easier to make excuses and rationalise, rather than admit to things as they really are.

Making the first step

Facing reality, admitting there is a problem and taking responsibility for action will setup the conditions needed to make progress. They contribute to that first step to the personal change needed for career success, now, and in the future.

Look out for the next post in this series. It will be about defining the change properly, so that it will be successful.

I would love to hear about successful changes you have made. Meanwhile, If you need support in making your change, my email address is below.

Wendy Mason is a Life and Career Coach. She helps people have the confidence they need to be successful at work and to change career while maintaining a good work/life balance. You can email her at wendymason@wisewolfcoaching.com

Other articles you might like

Job Search – Saying Thank You After The Interview Is A Must(wisewolftalking.com)

Career Development – Dealing with a difficult boss(wisewolftalking.com)